Egg turner for incubator trays



, Patented Dec.` 10, 1929 JOHN c. ROHMKER, OF BRADLEY, rnLrNoIs, AssIGNoR lro SEARS, RORBUCK Amoco., or CHICAGO, ILmNois,V A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK EGG TURNER `FOR' ITCUBATOR TRAYS Application filed October 15, 192'?. Serial No. 226,314.

The invention relates generally to an egg turner for incubator trays and more particu-- .10 period. Heretofore,- however, such devices have been manually operable, which necessitates the use of more or less cumbersome apparatus and whichv requires that the .incubatorbe constructed 'to permit access to the floperating mechanism of the egg turner.

It is an obj ect of this invention to provide a new and improved means for turning the eggs in an incubator tray, which turning meansis actuated automatically during cer .120 tain'parts of the operations of caring for the eggs.

It is a further object of theinvention to provide an improved egg turning means, whichis carried by the incubator tray upon which the eggs arer supported, in such manner that the egg turning means will be operatedv by the withdrawal of the tray from the'incubator. e, f f .Another object of the invention is to provide 'an egg turning device which, during the Vegg turning operation, is guided and support-ed to prevent leviation fromits'normal.

`movement and to prevent tipping thereof relative'to the tray.

1' Other objects and advantages will become apparent `from the following detailedV description of a preferred embodiment ofthe Vinvention and'from the accompanying draw-l insyin which: y. l igure 1 is a plan view of the invention as used in an incubator, the upper portion of the incubator being removed to showthe 'egg supporting tray.N l l llFig. 2'is a longitudinal section through the incubator tray onthe line 24-2'of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

, Fig. 3 isaA sectional view taken upon th line 3-3'of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

950'# 'Whil'ethe invention vis, susceptible fof va- `the desired egg capacity thereof. The inv trayr8 is ofa `size yto fit relativelysnugly' rious modifications and alternativeconstructions, I have shown in the drawings and'will herein describe in detailthe preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood .that I .y do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, butfintend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling Vwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims.Y Y v, Referring to the drawings 5, 6 and .7 indicate the side, rear and front walls of `an incubatorl respectively, the dimensions of which will, of course, depend entirely kupon cubator is provided with a tray upon which the eggs to be incubated are placed. 'This tray is generally designated 8 and is arranged to slide into and out of theincubator inthe usual manner. Elongated supports E9, se- .7f3 curely mounted in the incubator, provide a supporting means upon which the rear .portion of the incubator tray 8 rests -in the in? cubator. As may be seen in Figs. 1 and-2 the supporting members 9 stop short ofthe 75 front wall 7 of the incubator for a purpose which will be presentlyv described. The front wall 7, which is out away lin part tofpermit the entrance of the tray into the incubator, provides an upper portion or sill`10, forthe 50 1upport ,ofv the front edge ofthe incubator l ray. 1 l

lnthe preferred embodiment the incubator within the incubator and comprises a frame having side walls 11, rear wall 12 and front wall 13. Preferably the bottom'lt or -the surface upon which the veggsl are supported is of a suitable' foraminous, substantially' rigid material, such as wire screen or ltheV like, and is secured inlany suitable mannerV to the tray. Alars-an* additional means for .securingv the supporting bottom 14 to the frame a pair of supports l15 extend longi-vg v tudinally of the Aframe are securedas by'the nails 16 tojthe side walls 11'of'the tray. A centrallypositioned bottom supporting member 17 extends` longitudinallyofthe tray beneath the screen andfis suitably Vse-ltcured to the end members 12 and 13 of the tray. i Y

During the operation of the incubator it is customary at certain intervals of the incubating period to remove the incubator trayl and to turn the tray end for end before replacing the tray in the incubator, and vat the same time the eggs thereon are usually turned. In

attaining the objects of the invention an eggv turning device is associated with the egg tray in such manner that the withdrawal of the tray from the incubator efectsamovement of the egg turning device whereby the eggs will be automatically turned. The-device is also of such character that after the tray has been reversed or turned end for end and replaced in the incubator the device is again in its initial position.

In this instancerthe turning device comprises a flat egg turning member 18 positioned immediately above the egg supporting surface 14-and extending across the width of the tray. Preferably the egg engaging member 18 is of sheet metal but since the eggs would not be'engaged by a smooth metallic surface with sutlicient force 'to effect the necessary turning movement of the eggs, itis desirable to' provide a supplementary surface of a material which is adapted to engage the eggs. Y It has been found that canvas `or a like material is satisfactory forl this purpose and a surface of this material is secured upon. the' member 18, as by providing side ilanges 21 thereon, which may be bentrdownwardly to `clamp the supplementary canvas surface 22 thereto. 'At each end adjacent the 4side Walls 1K1 ofthe tray a continuation of the egg turning member'18 is bent upwardly,

. thenoiltwardly and thence downwardly to 40` provide a `U shaped guide 19 which fits over and is adapted to slide along the side walls 11 of the tray. As maybe vseenin Fig. 3 the outer legs of the U-shaped member19 extend downwardlyl as at 20 for a short distance below the lower surface of the supports 15.

s Thus the projecting portions 20 are adapted Y to engagethe sill 10 ofthe front wall-7 of Y the incubator to provide what may be termed avstop-engagement therebetweeni.` v 'f In Order that the member 18 shall be suffi-V ciently'ri id to prevent tipping or displace; Y vmentduring the'sliding movement along the traya supporting member 23 extendsacross ythewidth of the tray beneath the bottom sup @positioned adjacent t jecting portions20 of the U shaped member` .19; The fianges 24 aresecured to the pro- -ports 15 and 17 and is provided with downwardly extending flano'es 2li-,arranged to be he downwardly pro,vv

jecting ends 20sin anyfsuitable manner as by A providing a part thereofk struckoutwardly Y. to provide lugs 25 which extend through together.

suitable apertures in the portion'20'fand then 1 maybe turned to clamp the parts` rigidly Vprovided inthe incubator" between the front 1. The combinationwith a tray By this construction an egg turning device has been provided which is permanently mounted upon the tray and which is guided in its longitudinal sliding movement thereacross by means of the Ushaped members 19 travelling along the side edges l1 of the tray and the supporting member 23 sliding beneath the bottom supports 15. Furthermore, the

engagement of the supporting ,member ,23 with the bottoml ofthe` tray positively pre'- ventstipping of the'device relative to the tray during the egg turning operation.

In operation the tray is filled with eggs .and is positioned in .the incubator with the downwardly projecting portions 20, 24 of the egg turning device occupying the position immediately to the rear of the front wall '7 of the incubator and extending downwardly below the sill l0 thereof into the vgap or space wall 7 and the front end of the tray supporting member 9. 'Thus', when' the tray is with- -14 and the engagement of the canvas covering 22 with the eggs in its passage therebeneath will leffect the. desired turning of the eggs.

After the tray has been substantially with-V drawn from the-incubator itis onlynecessary to lift the rear end of the tray a Vshort distance to disengage the forward edge of the downwardly rojecting members 20,; 24 from the sill 10 w en the tray may lbe removed bodily from the incubator. ItfWill be ap-` parent after this operation that the egg turning device occupies a position at what formerly was therear end of-'the tray. vAfterxthe tray has been removed fromthe incubator' the tray is turned end for end andv replaced therein. Thusthe egg turning device is again at what'is now the forward end' ofthe trav andv after the tray has been almost entirely f slid into the incubator the front end is lifted H to permitthe downwardly projecting' [poriv tions 20, 24 to pass over the sill 10 as the'tray is returned to its normal position.

' VIt will be apparent from` the foregoing thatV an egg turning device for incubator trays-has been provided which, upon the removal of the tray fromthe incubator, will beautomatically moved along'the trayxto turn-the eggs supported thereon, which device isgautomatically returned' to 'an operating vrposition when "the -t'ray is replaced in the incubator. Moreover, anvegg turning device of this character is simpleV in construction, may beV cheaply manufactured and is eliic'ientf in operation. f

I claim as my invention:

bators comprising, a frame and an egg supporting surface secured thereto, of an egg turning device secured to the tray and adapted to slide longitudinally over the egg supporting surface to effect ythe turning of the eggs supported thereon, said device including means rigid therewith arranged to embrace the upper portion of the opposite sides of said frame to guide said device in its travel across the frame.

2. The combination with a tray for incubators comprising, a frame and an egg sup-v porting surface secured thereto, of an egg turning device connected at its ends to said frame for guidance to move longitudinally over the egg supporting surface to effect the turning of the eggs supported thereon, said device including a means rigid therewith and extending transversely below the bottom of said tray from one side of the tray to the other to prevent displacement of said device relative to said tray in the movement thereof across the egg supporting surface.

3. An incubator having, in combination, a

reversible tray receivable in said incubator, an egg turning device mounted on said tray, a stationary part at the front side of the incubator, means projecting from said egg turning device arranged toengage said part when said tray is withdrawn from the incubator to effect a movement of said egg turning device across said tray, the front end of said tray being arranged to be lifted'to disengage said means from said part to permit complete withdrawal of said tray from said incubator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOHN C. BOHMKER. 

